Fifty feet tall mobile phone masts can be “built anywhere developers choose to
put them” and will return parts of the countryside to "the wild west
wirescapes of the 1960s and 70s" under a new assault on planning rules,
councils are warning.

Local authorities said they had 'major concerns' that the proposals 'could open the floodgates to phone masts, as well as broadband street cabinets and overhead cabling, being built in the countryside and near to people’s homes'.Photo: GETTY

MPs will debate this week proposals that to make it easier for telecommuncations to roll expand their broadband networks across the country.

The plans, contained in the Growth and Infrastructure Bill, remove a current requirement for developers to seek planning approval for new telecoms infrastructure.

Local authorities said they had “major concerns” that the proposals “could open the floodgates to phone masts, as well as broadband street cabinets and overhead cabling, being built in the countryside and near to people’s homes”.

Ministers have said this is aimed at making it easier to install new broadband junction boxes and pylons.

However, the Local Government Association, which represents 370 councils in England and Wales, said it was worried that the Bill would allow the changes to apply to mobile phone masts as well, and called for the clause in the Bill to be scrapped.

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In a briefing note the LGA described the masts as the “equivalent to the height of three-and-a-half double decker buses” and gave warning that they could be sited “near schools, beauty spots, heritage sites and people’s homes”.

Councillor Mike Jones, the chairman of the association’s Environment and Housing Board, said: “This badly thought-out legal change proposes the wrong solution to the wrong problem, and in doing so will create a loophole which could create a mobile phone mast free-for-all.

“It is an extraordinary and alarming proposition that a phone mast the height of three double decker buses could be put up outside the front of someone’s home without them having any say in the matter.

“These plans would leave people powerless to object and councils unable to intervene. This would be a blow to local democracy and could cause deep and long-term damage to communities.”

Councils had worked for years with developers and telecoms companies to ensure that cabling for new phone lines was housed underground.

He added: “This policy would turn the clock back to a return to the wild west wirescapes of the 1960s and 1970s. There is no question that spreading access to broadband should be a priority but this poorly thought out approach risks doing more harm than good.

“Rural areas should be able to access 21st century technology without developers blighting heritage sites and beautiful countryside views with ugly pylons, junctions boxes and overhead cabling.

“Local authorities want to be able to work with network providers to ensure local areas get the best possible coverage in a way that residents are happy with.”

The Campaign to Protect Rural England echoed the concerns expressed by the association. Adam Royle, a spokesman, said: “This change opens the door to hundreds of miles of new overhead cables, poles and masts in our most beautiful countryside.

“Ministers say that planning rules in these areas are too restrictive, but haven’t provided a scrap of evidence to back up their case. The clause is a crudely-worded assault on 60-year old protections for National Parks and AONBs (Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty).

“Nobody disputes the need for better broadband in our rural areas, but we don’t need to sacrifice the unique beauty of these areas – with all the tourist benefits these bring – in order to deliver it.”

Earlier this month The Daily Telegraph disclosed how expanding Britain’s super-fast broadband network will mean erecting another 1,000 miles of telegraph poles and overhead cables that “impair” the views of many households.

A Department for Communities and Local Government spokesman said: “The Local Government Association is factually wrong and are scaremongering. Clause 8 of the Bill makes no change to planning rules for mobile phone masts.”